Improvement in violins and other bow instbtjments



@nitatrs gettati; @High GEORGE eEMNDEa or NEW Yoan, N. Y. Leim PatentNo. 70,991, mit Nambe' 19, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN VIOLINS AND OTHER BOW INSTRUMENTS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GMNDER, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Bow Instruments;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a planview of my invention, the cover of the instrument being removed.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal central sectionoi' the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same, the plane of section beingindicated by the line a: x, iig. I.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to anew manner of arranging the sound-posts inviolins, violoncellos, bass-violins, tenor-violins, or other bowinstruments, so that a greater equality of sounds may be produced, andso that the ton'cs may be vpropagated with more clearness, power, anddistinctness, than they could on instruments in which the ordinarysound-posts'are used.

The invention consists in connecting the ordinary solitary sound-post,by means of a bridge, with a second sound-post which does not reach tothetop plate of the instrument. A. string is laid upon the upper endofthe secondary sound-post, said string being, with both ends, securedto the tail-piece ofthe instrument, and passing through the blockarranged in the front end of the same. The secondary sound-post, andwith it the top 'and bottom plates of the instrument are, by thisarrangement, connected with the tail-piece, and thereby with the mainstrings of the instrument, thereby producing more and finer vibrations,and consequently better and more complete tones. The complete sound isheard, as no part of' it is retained in the instrument.

A representsthe case or box of a bow instrument. a is its bottom, and 6its top plate. B is the ordinary sound-post, arranged between theYplates a and 6,' to transfer the vibrations from one to the other. Itis, by means oi" a bridge, C, connected with Ianother post, D, which issecured to the plate a, and which does not reach to the plate b, beingshorter than the post B, as is clearly shown in iig. 3. E is agut-string, secured with both ends to the tail-piece F of theinstrument, and passing through the block c, which is arranged in thefrontend of the case A. Two arms are thus formed of the string E, ofwhich one passes over the post D, resting upon the upper end of thesame, while the other passes over the bridge C, resting upon the same,or not, as may be desired. The main strings of the .instrument are alsosecured to the tail-piece F, and thus, as the main strings are stretchedby means of the pegs, the string E will also be stretched, and willthereby rest heavier upon the post D. The plate a will thereby becomestrained and its vibration increased, as well as that of the plate b,with which it is connected by means of the post B. Instead of onestring,-two or more may be nsedbut that vone arm which passes over thepost D is of the greatest importance; the other can be dispensed with.The string E may,`ii` desired, be secured to screws or pegs arranged inthe backof the instrument, in which case thev strings E must bestretched separately, they notbeing connected with the tail-piece F. Thebridge C, connect'-4 ing the posts B and D, transmits the vibration fromone` to the other. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Lctters'Patent, is

1. `Arranging an additional sound-post, D, within the case of a bowinstrument, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown anddescribed.

2. Combining the additional sound-post D with a string, E, which passesover it, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown anddescribed.

3. Connecting thesound-posts of a bow instrument by means' of a string,E, and thc tail-piece F, with the main strings of the instrument,substantially as herein shown and described.

4.. The bridge C, for connecting the post D with the main sound-post B,substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

GEO. GEMUNDER.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMARA, ALEX. F. RoBEnrs.

